Jail Inmate Information

Cash Bail: A money guarantee that the defendant will return to court when required. When a cash bail is set, the defendant must pay the full amount prior to being released from jail. If the defendant does not return to court as promised, the court may issue an arrest warrant and the court may forfeit the bail money. Money that is posted for a bail may or may not be returned when the case is over. The court may apply cash posted to any outstanding court fines or fees. For more detailed information, refer to Bail/Fine for further information.

Personal Recognizance Bond: The defendant is released without posting a cash bail and promises to return to court when required. If the defendant does not return to court as promised, the court may issue an arrest warrant.

Bail Fees

The Milwaukee County Jail Cashier's Office is located on the ground floor of the Criminal Justice Facility at 949 N. 9th Street. The Cashier accepts money for inmate accounts and bail payments.

Bail may be posted for inmates 24 hours a day.

The following are acceptable forms of payment: Cash, Cashier's Check, Money Order and all major credit cards.

Persons posting bail with Mastercard/Visa must own the card and have a valid driver's license. This type of payment is processed as a cash advance and therefore incurs an additional fee.

Cashier's Checks and Money Orders must be made out to the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office.

Bail refunds are handled by the Milwaukee County Clerk of Circuit Court (278-4538). They are paid 3-4 weeks after the case is closed only if the defendant made all court appearances and committed no additional crimes.

Persons inquiring about bail refunds should be prepared to provide the case number and the defendant's name.

Bail

Bail: A money guarantee that the defendant will return to court when required. If the defendant does not return to court as promised, the court may issue an arrest warrant and the court may forfeit the bail money.

Fine

Fine: When the court has issued the defendant a fine, it is considered money extracted as a penalty. Certain municipal fines will qualify for a personal recognizance bond. This is usually determined by the issuing agency.

Commitment

Commitment: A commitment is a sentence issued by the court. The defendant must serve a certain number of days jail and/or pay a fine. The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office assesses a $35.00 processing fee for each commitment. This will be added to the amount of the commitment and must be paid prior to the inmate's release. Some commitments issued by the court does not have a fine amount associated with them and jail time is mandatory.

Bail Refund

If bail is refundable, a check will be mailed to the person who posted within three (3) weeks after case is closed.

Bail WILL be refunded under the following conditions:

The Court ordered the bail returned.The Court found the defendant guilty and ordered no fine/judgment.The Court found the defendant guilty, ordered a fine/judgment, and a balance remains after the bail is applied to the fine/judgmentThe case was dismissed, the defendant appeared for all scheduled Court dates, and the Court didn't order any special conditions of bail.

Bail WILL NOT be refunded if:

The defendant failed to appear for a scheduled Court date. In addition to not returning bail, the Court may have issued a bench warrant for the defendant's arrest.The Court found the defendant guilty and ordered a fine/judgment. The bail is used towards a payment of the fine/judgment. The case is still open and has a future Court date (unless the Court orders the bail reduced and orders part of the bail refunded).

If you have not received bail refund three (3) weeks after case closing, you may contact the following:

Probation or Parole Holds: This means that the Department of Corrections has placed a hold on the inmate for potentially violating the terms and conditions of his/her probation or parole. The probation or parole agent determines when and if the hold will be lifted.

Safe Keeper/Holds: An inmate is deemed a safe keeper if the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office is detaining or "holding" the inmate for another agency. It is the responsibility of the wanting agency to arrange for pick up and transportation of the inmate to their county jail. Questions regarding the reason for the hold must be directed to the wanting agency.